Return of the Dragoons
by Sweet Cadbury
Summary: Certain people are hearing voices-- the voices of the Dragoons of the past in their heads. Modern day teenagers are forced to take up the mantel of the Dragoon under the guidance of voices in their heads? Yay fun.. read and respond, please! =D
1. Default Chapter

(((Opening song!)))  
  
I had a dream that I could fly  
  
I can feel each moment as time goes by  
  
We'd never be too far away  
  
You would always be here  
  
I heard you say  
  
I never thought,  
  
Thought that it would be our last goodbye  
  
(Our last goodbye)  
  
I still can dream,  
  
That one-day love will fall from the sky.  
  
Do you still remember  
  
All the time that has gone by?  
  
(Do you believe?)  
  
Do you still believe  
  
That love can fall from the sky?  
  
If from where you're standing  
  
You can see the sky above…  
  
I'll be waiting for you  
  
If you still believe in love.  
  
Find a way to bring back yesterday  
  
Find a way for love  
  
I hope you stay,  
  
When tomorrow becomes today,  
  
Love will find a way.  
  
I'll be waiting for you,  
  
In my heart you are the one.  
  
If I cannot find you, I will look up to the sun.  
  
If from where you're standing,  
  
You can see the sky above…  
  
I'll be waiting for you,  
  
If you still believe in love.  
  
Do you still remember?  
  
All the time that has gone by?  
  
Do you still believe that love  
  
Can fall from the sky?  
  
If from where you're standing  
  
You can see the sky above…  
  
I'll be waiting for you, if you still believe in love.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
She sat on the railing of the balcony, staring down five stories at the busy street below. The night was anything but dark, with all the city lights and the number of cars zooming about below, even for the late hour. Not even the wind was still. It blew cool, but dry, with no promise of rain.  
  
"I can hear dragons… somewhere out there," She said quietly, as she slid off of the railing, legs quaking slightly as her feet touched the solid balcony again. She slid open the glass door and went back inside her apartment.  
  
Her bare feet made no noise on the carpet as she made her way through her small apartment.  
  
:: Karen, I think it's time you met somebody…:: The cool voice in the back of her mind, her constant companion, spoke up.  
  
"What do you mean, Rose?" She asked as she sat down at the table and took a sip from a glass of ice tea she'd left there. The cold water that had beaded up on the glass chilled her hands, but she ignored it.  
  
:: In light of the Dragons beginning to stir, yes……::  
  
"But who would I meet?" She asked.  
  
::…I think it's time that you met the others like you…::  
  
"Is this your way of telling me there are other Dragoons out there? That I'm not the only one?" Karen asked.  
  
::…Are you surprised?…::  
  
"Not really… I sort of expected it." Karen put her glass down. "Going to tell me what their names are, Rose?"  
  
::…That's the problem… most of them aren't awake yet… in fact, only one is, and his level of experience is nowhere near yours, :: The voice explained.  
  
**  
  
"Yeah right… and just how am I going to get away from my parents?" A red haired boy muttered as he plucked his fat gray tabby cat from his favorite chair and flopped down into it.  
  
::Tell them you're going to go look at schools?:: Dart, one of the two entities residing in his mind, suggested.  
  
"Perhaps I haven't explained geography to you guys lately," The boy replied. "I live in Chicago. You just told me you want me to go meet someone in New York. That's not exactly an evening jaunt downtown."  
  
::If you don't go there, then she can come here,:: The second voice, older and more mature, spoke up. ::It would probably be for the best anyway, Casey.::  
  
"Hm." Casey scratched the cat's ears and turned his hazel eyes towards his bedroom mirror. He fingered the red stone than hung on a chain inside his shirt. "So this other Dragoon… is a girl?" He asked quietly.  
  
::And she's very strong… you better be prepared for your meeting,:: The second voice added.  
  
"Zieg?" Casey questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me she'll try to fight me…"  
  
::She's been able to speak to Rose since she was a very small child,:: Dart explained. ::And Rose is no easy task master… believe me, I speak from experience. She will probably want to test your battle prowess.::  
  
The cat hissed and leaped from Casey's arms, scuttling down the hallway and out of sight.  
  
"Light glows and Blood flows when Dragoons meet," He said quietly, crossing his arms. ~ What am I getting into now… Rather, what are Dart and Zieg going to get me into? ~  
  
**  
  
"Ack!!" A girl's voice rose above the bouncy music coming from the tape deck of her car as it jerked. The impact with the other car shook her whole body, and she sat there stunned for a moment, before springing into action.  
  
"HEY! MISTER BRAND NEW 2000 CHERRY RED MUSTANG CONVERTABLE!!!" She shrieked as she shoved the door of her little jeep open and jumped out. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"  
  
"It's called STOPPING, Sassie, maybe you should try it some time!" The tall, athletic boy in the nicer car shouted back as he got out.  
  
"There's no stop sign OR red light, TRAVIS!" Sassie, a short girl with curly brown hair and a pair of wire spectacles, placed her hands on her hips and glared up at Travis, a 6'4", muscular varsity football star with a perfect tan and sandy blond hair.  
  
"Anyway, it doesn't really matter, YOU rear ended ME, so your insurance ought to pay for it," He continued, rubbing his chin as he looked at the two cars. "We won't even have to call the police if we just exchange numbers."  
  
She snorted. "What, did you just make me rear end you so you could get my number??"  
  
He made a face. "Please, like I need an accident to pick up girls. I know you're running late for work, Sassandra."  
  
"Oh, shut up," She growled as she wrote down her insurance information on a post-it from her backpack and slapped it onto the front of his jersey. "Here."  
  
"See, now was that so hard?" Travis asked as he wrote down his information on a sheet of notebook paper and folded it about sixteen times before handing it to Sassie. "Enjoy your afternoon at Wal-Mart."  
  
She yelled something less than complimentary at him as he climbed back into his car and sped off.  
  
**  
  
"So this… is… my dorm?" The young man blinked as he stared at the numbers on the bronze plaque. He swallowed slowly. ~ Kay, Brandon… here it goes. You're a college man now. Hopefully your roommate isn't a monster. ~  
  
The tanned boy poked his head inside cautiously, his large brown eyes darting around. "Um… hello?"  
  
The dorm was spotless. It looked almost as if no one was living there at all.  
  
~ Maybe my roommate isn't here yet… or… maybe they messed up and I got a single? ~  
  
"You must be my roommate. I hope you're not sloppy," A somewhat cold voice spoke, and Brandon nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to look at a stern looking young man about his age, maybe a year older, standing inside the doorway to what must've been the bathroom. He was dressed simply in jeans and a purple tee-shirt, and had a pair of wire rim glasses in his hand.  
  
The muscular Asian brushed a lock of his dark hair away from his eyes and nodded at Brandon. "I'm Jay," He said quietly, extending his other hand towards Brandon. "Welcome to the university."  
  
**  
  
It was lunch time at the Saint Theresa School for Girls.  
  
"Gosh… Sister Catherine is going to nail me if I don't do well on my next test," A girl sighed as she leaned back at the lunch table.  
  
"Yeah… we're not all smart and perfect like Faith-Ashley," A second girl teased as she elbowed the quiet blond beside them.  
  
"Oh come on, you guys have perfectly good brains," She said quietly. "For your information, I got a B+ on the test…"  
  
"B+, OUCH," Her first friend sighed and grinned.  
  
Faith-Ashley glanced past her friends, as a movement caught her gray eyes.  
  
"Who's she?" She asked quietly, nervously reaching up to play with the clip in her blond hair.  
  
"I dunno… new girl, I guess." One of Faith's friends sipped at her milk carton.  
  
"Her name is Jordan, I think…. Man, wish I had a figure like that," Another girl whispered. "She makes these uniforms look good."  
  
Faith-Ashley nodded, secretly jealous of the new girl, too. Her platinum blond hair hung in a neat braid down her back, and she walked with more grace than the Sisters that ran the school. She looked over her shoulder, and smiled slightly as she made eye contact with Faith Ashley for the briefest instance before turning her bright eyes away.  
  
For some reason, Faith-Ashley shivered…  
  
**  
  
~ There must be a reason why the other Dragoons are going to awaken soon…~ Karen thought to herself as she sped along the dark highway on her motorcycle, with nothing but the cold wind whipping against her body and her thoughts to keep her company.  
  
Rose had remained quiet since her revelation the night before, leaving the young girl who's mind she resided in to her own thoughts in peace.  
  
~ I don't know why Rose lives in my mind… all I do know is that I can manifest her… OUR… power, with her help, and with this stone…~ Thinking about the black stone on a chain around her neck created a warm spot against her chest briefly. ~ That stone is the Dark Dragoon Spirit, and I use it to harness the power of the long dead Dark Dragon. OK, I've known THAT since I was a little kid… in fact, the stone and the obviously real magic are my only proof that I'm not completely insane… wait a minute, insane? ROSE!! ~  
  
:: Huh? What's wrong, Karen? :: She sounded like she'd been caught off guard.  
  
~ You Dragoons are basically voices in our heads, right? How am I supposed to convince anyone that the voices are real? …If your friends have just up and started chattering in their heads, I may have to deal with someone in an institution who isn't actually crazy at all!! Unless they actually HAVE been driven crazy! ~ The thought was just a little daunting to Karen.  
  
:: We'll cross that bridge when and if we come to it, :: Rose replied easily.  
  
Suddenly, a tingle of energy shot through Karen's body, and her eyes went wide.  
  
:: Stop the motorcycle, Karen,:: Rose didn't need to tell her, the dark haired girl had already steered to the shoulder of the road and slowed to a stop. She cut the engine, and when the headlight was switched off, Karen was bathed in utter darkness. Not even the stars or the moon shone down on her to provide light.  
  
Light appeared momentarily, in the form of several tiny pinpricks- glowing eyes, somewhere in the woods off the road.  
  
~ I've got a feeling those aren't owls, ~ She thought as she slowly got off the bike. Her heart drummed with the anticipation of a battle- even if it was against small creatures.  
  
:: Creatures of my era are already awakening… we have less time than I thought, :: Rose muttered grimly. :: They're no bigger than bobcats, you should be able to take care of them easily…::  
  
Karen nodded, and slowly drew the long knife strapped to a sheath on the inside of her thigh. She whistled lowly under her breath. "Hi, little monsters…"  
  
**  
  
The night-lights glittered throughout Chicago, causing the dark to be only an idea in the back of Casey's mind. The all night party his parents had suddenly decided to attend had been nothing less than a God-send… somewhere inside, he always felt guilty when he had to lie to them about his whereabouts or sneak out. The red-haired boy was perched on the ledge of the roof of one of the numerous skyscrapers that filled the city.  
  
"Tell me they're close, guys…" He sighed.  
  
:: It's hard to pin-point locations when the Dragoons are not awakened…:: Zieg told him apologetically. ::…But, maybe when Rose brings her vessel…::  
  
An excited little chill ran through Casey and he felt a flush rise in his cheeks. ~ Why do I look forward to meeting this chick so much? ~ He wondered, squirming, as he got up to pace the ledge, carefully staying in the shadows of the large sign over his head. (It wouldn't do to have someone think he was a potential jumper and call a rescue squad, after all!) ~ I guess it will just be nice to meet someone like me, I suppose… I wonder what she looks like…~ He grinned to himself as he began to imagine meeting a real-life Xena… or maybe even someone like her little sidekick, she was pretty cute, too, come to think of it. Or maybe she'd be more like an anime girl…  
  
::…Um…:: Dart 'coughed' mentally, bringing Casey out of his day- dreams of warrior-girls. :: We CAN sense that the Dragoons of Wind and Earth are near one another… and the Dragoons of Water and Lightning are near to one another as well… but we haven't caught a sign of the Dragoon of Light yet…:: Dart's words stirred a strange longing in Casey, as sudden and strong as his desire to meet the girl who'd been working with Rose. He couldn't tell if his excitement or his concern was greater.  
  
"We'll… find her, too," He said, as he fingered the red stone on a leather thong around his neck. He wasn't sure how, but he knew the person with the White Silver Dragoon Spirit had to be a female.  
  
And then, another kind of energy stirred in him, and he looked to the building across the street, where something was stirring in the shadows. "Better take care of those THINGS before they attack someone…" Casey sighed as he pulled a pistol equipped with a silencer out of his pocket (his parents naturally had NO idea he possessed a weapon, of course… while he preferred a sword, a gun was less conspicuous and easier to hide). He tried not to let it show how much it worried him that monsters were popping up IN the city, but so far it hadn't been anything but a couple of mutated bat, pigeon, and rat creatures, and in small numbers.  
  
But of course, he couldn't hide his worry from Dart and Zieg. They lived in his mind, after all.  
  
~ Well, then, let's get it over with, ~ He thought, as he gripped the hot, red stone.  
  
**  
  
"Thank you, have a nice day…" Sassie sighed as she checked out the last of the late night customers. She took off her glasses and rubbed her sleepy eyes. It was just past midnight and the Wal-Mart was fairly deserted.  
  
"Go home, Sass, your shift ended twenty minutes ago," Her friend Nicole chided. "I can handle things here."  
  
"More like you and Justin the stock boy can handle things, right?" Sassie giggled and winked at Nicole's sudden blush. "You're right, though… I think I'll go home and get some sleep before I tell my parents about my little encounter with Travis McCean…"  
  
"Ouch…" Nicole ran her fingers thought her blond hair. "Still… you got to TALK to Travis…" She sighed.  
  
"I got to yell at Travis, you mean… GOOD NIGHT, Nicky…" Sassie waved over her shoulder as she walked out the door.  
  
She shivered as soon as she stepped outside… the nearly empty parking lot always gave her the creeps. Her hand automatically went to the small green stone she wore set in a pendant that her grandmother had given her when she was really little. The antique pendant was nothing special, but it somehow made her more comfortable to have it near.  
  
But this time touching the stone didn't make her calm down… in fact, her heart rate surged with unnatural energy. She made a beeline to her car.  
  
Was that footsteps nearby? She walked a little faster.  
  
…Yes… She could hear someone following her now. A male voice she didn't recognize called out to her and she started running. The footsteps began running, and something inside urged Sassie not to stop for anything. She fumbled for her car keys in her purse as she barrelled toward the jeep, heart racing.  
  
"HEY! Why're you running from me, I just want to talk!!" All of a sudden, he was in front of her. Sassie jumped back from the hands that grabbed at her shoulders, her mouth open in shock. She couldn't take her eyes off of his.  
  
~ Red… oh, my God, his eyes are red…~ Platinum hair fell into the handsome boy's face, but his full lips were twisted in a devious smile that didn't bode well for her.  
  
"T-t-take my purse, m-my car, just don't hurt me!!" She cried.  
  
Me smiled. "My dear, I don't need your car or your purse…" Sassie screamed as he grabbed at the front of her shirt and she heard the fabric rip. He backhanded her, so hard that her glasses flew off, skittering into the darkness.  
  
"Please!!!" She cried.  
  
"Shut up, idiot, it's not what you think," He snarled as he grabbed at the chain her pendant hung on and yanked.  
  
~ He wants… my NECKLACE? ~ She thought in shock. She knew it wasn't worth her life, but Sassie did NOT want him to take her grandmother's pendant!  
  
"NO!" She screamed, and kicked him as hard as he could in the shin.  
  
She turned and fled back towards the Wal-Mart. She'd get Nicole and Justin and their boss, they would protect her from the boy.  
  
She heard him snarl in irritation, and suddenly he was in front of her again. Sassie screamed once more and turned to flee towards her car again.  
  
"You can't run from me, you stupid human!" He yelled as he grabbed at the back of her shirt.  
  
"Just LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!" Sassie screamed, as a sudden harsh wind kicked up in the parking lot. The boy cursed again and let go of her as a brilliant green light began to shine from her pendant… He let her go and seemed to vanish into thin air, as Sassie collapsed, trembling, on the pavement. 


	2. Bird to Dolphin

OK, OK, I know, I know… this is probablyt he shortest chapter in the history of… uh… Cadbury-dom. I just had to knock something out before I head off to spring break… just wanted to hint a little more about the 'platinum boy', not that I really need to, and one of the new Dragoons… hope you guys like this, eensy weensy teeny short as it may be. I'll try to get more soon! Also, if anyone wants to offer any suggestions of things they'd like to see in the story or suggestions on cities to use and whatnot, be my guest and let me know, pleeeease! OK, I'll shut up and let ya'll read. ;-)  
  
*  
  
  
  
Brandon perched precariously on the edge of the diving board, a good twenty feet above the Olympic-sized swimming pool housed in the university gym, his body faintly quivering. He'd been diving practically all his life, and yet… there was always that little moment of hesitation before he went. He shifted his position, sending his center of gravity forward. He felt the slight friction of leather against his left wrist. He knew he wasn't supposed to wear accessories such as the bracelet in the pool, but somehow, having the simple leather cord, with a single aquamarine stone, made him feel more at ease.  
  
~ Here I go, sis, ~ He thought, as he jumped.  
  
It was almost as if he could hear a girl's voice in his head, whispering for him to go for it. For the briefest moments, it was as if he were flying. The closest he could come to flying was falling, but he didn't mind. Brandon was doing it for her.  
  
And when he hit the water, he was gliding, descending smoothly into another world; a wavering crystalline blue world, where the obnoxious sounds of the everyday world were muffled and filtered away, and the light came down in wavering, glittering streams. He went from bird to dolphin.  
  
But, even dolphins have to breathe, and the slender, dusky skinned diver came to the surface of the pool, his pulse pounding in his ears as he took a deep breath.  
  
"You need more height in your jump… you'd be able to better complete your flip if you did," A voice called.  
  
Brandon jerked in surprise, nearly diving under the water again. He felt a blush heat his face. "I-I didn't know anyone else was in here…" He looked around, but he couldn't see the source of the voice.  
  
"You looked like you were flying… towards the water, anyway. But your technique still needs work," the voice continued.  
  
All of a sudden, he was there, kneeling at the edge of the pool just as Brandon was about to climb out. He leaned forward, a towel slung over his shoulder. His platinum hair fell over his eyes, but Brandon could clearly see the hand offered to him.  
  
Brandon's tanned hand took the alabaster of the stranger. "Thanks-" He began, but stopped when the grip offered him turned vice-like. The diver gasped as the stranger lifted him out of the pool-- all the way out of the pool, by one hand.  
  
"I think that sissy bracelet weighs you down. Maybe you should let me hold it for you," The boy said, lifting his face to reveal his bright eyes, the crimson irises burning with inner power.  
  
Brandon tried to open his mouth to yell for help, but no sound seemed to come out. 


	3. A Stolen Stone and A Little Detour

~~~Hullo, peoples! Another shortly short chapter is here already! I'm amazed by the amount of interest this story's generated… here I thought no one would even read the silly thing, hehe ( I just wanted to issue a shout out to Lloyd fans out there (Hey, I like him too!!), not to worry… he's not being demonized a-purpose, and all *will* be revealed… eventually. This is setting itself up to be a long fic, tho, so bear with me!  
  
*  
  
  
  
"Please understand this is nothing against you personally. I just cannot allow you to keep this stone," The stranger explained in an eerily calm voice.  
  
"Wh-who are you? Let go of me, man!" Brandon tried to shout, tried to sound tough, but his voice came out small and shaking.  
  
"I will very shortly," The stranger said, as his grip on Brandon's wrist tightened. Slender ivory fingers slipped beneath the band of the bracelet, easily pulling it over the diver's hand.  
  
~ My sister's bracelet…~ "No!!" Brandon shouted, giving a violent squirm.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you…but that doesn't mean that I won't…" The boy said, as he tossed Brandon back into the pool as if he were a toy. "Stay asleep, Meru… don't disgrace your people any more than you already have."  
  
"Stop!! Give it back!" Brandon yelled, already furiously paddling his way towards the edge of the pool again, but before he was even halfway there, the platinum haired stranger was gone. "No… please… give it…" He suddenly felt very tired, and couldn't even get out of the pool. He rested his head against the concrete edge, tears stinging his eyes. "Sis… I'm sorry…"  
  
  
  
*  
  
*  
  
:: How soon until we reach Chicago? :: Rose asked, as Karen, leaning against her motorcyle, pulled out a road map.  
  
"We'll probably get there tomorrow night… having to make all those stops and detours to kill monsters sure adds onto your travel time," The raven haired girl spoke aloud. "I want to find a hotel for the night, though… my butt's killing me."  
  
:: But we're so close to the Red Eyed Dragon's Dragoon… we can't stop now! :: Rose hissed.  
  
"You ride all day and all night on a motorcycle and tell me how you feel. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm cold, and I need a shower. We're stopping when we get to the next town," Karen said as she folded up the map again and placed it inside her jacket. The girl remounted her bike, and was about to start the engine when a strange sensation in her mind made her stop.  
  
"What is it, Rose? I don't sense an enemy around here…"  
  
:: We need to make a detour… Chicago can wait. ::  
  
"What?! You were just yelling at me--"  
  
:: I sense an area with a large population of people around your age… there are two Dragoons there… and… someone else…::  
  
"People around my age… a college, probably… who is this 'someone else'?"  
  
::I… can't be sure… he shouldn't be here, though… I don't understand… just go, Karen, and quickly! ::  
  
"Well when you give an order, I don't argue, O Dark One…" Karen muttered as she put on her helmet and revved the engine.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
:: She's changed direction… ::  
  
"What? Who's changed direction?" Casey exclaimed as he sat up in bed, startled by Zieg's sudden comment.  
  
:: Rose… I mean… the Dark Dragoon. ::  
  
"Where's she going?" The red head asked, yawning as he stretched. It felt like he'd just barely gotten to bed. "And why do you sound so disappointed?" ~ And why do *I* feel so disappointed? ~  
  
:: She's going after other Dragoons… something's going on, I can't tell what… but we should go with her, I think…::  
  
Casey sighed. "Hello, I've told you guys, its not that easy, I can't up and leave… I have school, you know, parents…"  
  
:: I think it would be wiser to stay here anyway. Rose can handle things. :: Dart spoke up for the first time in quit awhile. :: If Casey rushes off without even knowing for sure if there's danger,, it could just make things more complicated. ::  
  
:: Look who's suddenly making a plan… :: Zieg commented, not without a little hostility.  
  
Then, silence. Casey groaned and resisted the urge to smack his head against something. The only time anything got quiet in his head was when his 'friends' were having an argument amongst themselves that they didn't want him to be privy to.  
  
~ Wherever she is, though… I just hope she's OK, ~ he thought, glancing out the window. ~ All of them…~ 


End file.
